I used  reverse  loop  modules  on  my  G  scale  garden  line extensively  with  no  problems  wahtsoever.

However  when  i  installed  them  on  an 0n30  line  i  found  that  problems  were  caused  byt  Bachmann  Lighted  passenger  cars,  as  they  collected  power  form  'one side' on 1  truck  and  'the  other  side  on  the  2nd  truck,  thus  the rail  gap  was  crossed  at passed  at 'different  times' so to  speak,  this  caused  'confusuion' to  the  reverse loop module which  then  failed  to  work correctly.

Elimination  of  the  passenger  car would immediately  stop the  problem, but  we  modified  the   power  collection  arrangement on  hte  passenger  cars  which  cured  the  problem!

My Whitcomb  arrived this  morning  , it  is  a  very impressive  model  well worth  the  money (and  the  wait!!)

I am a little pushed  for  time  at  the  moment,  but  should anyone wish to look at  www.rmweb.co.uk  and look at  the  modelling ' special interest '   section  and  NARROW GAUGE etc  you will find   a short  reveiw  there  under  the  Whitcombe  heading.

One  thing to  note  the  loco  is  very  heavy  701 Grammes!  It  runs  superbly!

A couple  more  observations..... sound module  installation  when  they  become  available  appears  to be very  easy,

2 Bells  & 1 Horn  are  enclosed  for  user  fitting,  there is  a driver in the  cab,  the lights  are  directional, but  the  rear  one  remains  on  but  dims slightly.

Pulling  power   will be  exceptional  I have not  got  enough  rolling  stock  here to  test it!!!

The loco  runs very smoothly  from  a very slow  crawl, to  a Maximum speed  which  is probably  just  below a scale 40MPH

There  should be  no problem  with  tight  curves,  the  bogies  (sorry  Trucks!) have a lot  of  swivel ( turnability)  the minimum radius on the layout I have been testing it on  is  17"  but when  I  stopped the loco  on the  17" curve to check I found that   there is still a little more turn available  in the  trucks  so 15" radius should be no problem.

Stock  has   arrived  at www.tower-models.com      in  Blackpool  this  morning,  so  I  should  have  one  delivered to me  tomorrow  Tuesday!!

BACHMANN  UK  Website  product  availability list  shows  the  Whitcomb Diesel  as  being 'IN STOCK'  having  changed from Sept/Oct delivery yesterday!

Yes  it  will have  a  bachmann  decoder  factory  fitted,  It  will most  likely  have  an  8 pin socket in the  tender,  Simply  remove  the  fuel  load  and  the  decoder  is  underneath,
Some  locos  now  have  21 pin decoders  fitted

A simple way to  check  is  to  look in  the  accessory bags which you shouls have  with  the  loco,  there  will be  a  decoder  blanking  plug included,  this  will be  either  8  or  21 pin.

From  this  you will know  which type  of  plug you need  on  your replacement  sound  decoder,  which  is  plug & play

I assume  that  you  have  not  got  a DCC system?

If  you  have   or  perhaps  know  someone  who  has,  try  a  decoder  reset  ( that is usually  the  first  action  with  decoder  problems)    reset  enter  value  8  in  CV8.

If you  have no access to  a digital  system  I would try  removing  the  decoder  from  its  socket in  the  tender, and  fitting  the  blanking  plug  which  should have been  supplied  with  the loco in  one  of the plastic  bags.

Just in case you are familiar  with  a  blanking  plug  it  is  a  small pC type board  aboud  30mm X 20mm which directly peplaces  the  decoder.   The  decoder  is  accessable  under  the  tender  fuel load.

Thanks  Mr Bach-Mann

Dave  &  Roger  at  Tower  Models  still have  no  concrete  info  from  Bachmann  Europe/UK

I just  signed  up  over  here  in  the  UK  and  it  worked  fine!

Steve

Glyn Ceiriog  is  not  far  from  me!  I often  used  to  drive up to  Glyn Ceiriog  when I did a job  as  an  account  manger  for  a   Major  Healtcare  Company  there  was a Pharmacy ( very  tiny) in the  village,  there  was little  to  see of  the  railway  I think  that there  was somesort of preservation scheme planned  but  not  sure how  far  it  has  progressed.
Trouble  is  we  are  a  bit  over  subscribed  with preserved  railways here!

Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland, Tal-y-Lyn, Bala Lake Rly,Vale  of  Rheidol, are all within an hour or so drive away from my Home,  which is in Buckley a town  about 15 miles  from Chester.

Buckley once  had quite a bit  of  railway activity, but now  just one line running  from Wrexham to Bidston  Nr Birkenhead,
Info on old buckley lines  google  Buckley, Mold & Connahs  Quay railway!

Thanks  for  taking  the  time  to  pass  this  on  to  us!

Did  not  know  Carstens  were  ceasing  to  trade,  so  this  would  seem  to be  the  last  issue  of  0n30 Annual  I am  currently  reading.

I will also  sign  up to  your  site

regards  Steve  (  Wales  UK) 

IU dont  think  there  is  any  chance  of  a  price  reduction,  the  fact  is  production  costs  have  escalated  to  an  alarming  degree ,  the  workers demanding  a proper  living  wage!

Incidentally  Bachmann Europe  here in  the  UK announced a sudden  price  increase  of  around  20% on average  across  the  WHOLE  UK  range  both  in 00  &  N  gauge  which resulted in  hefty  increases of  prices almost immediately in  the  retail outlets,  even  the  big  discounters  such  as  Hattons in Liverpool  showed big  price increases.

There  are  still some good  prices  around  over  here on some 0n30 items,  as  I mentioned on another  post  I bought a  brand new Factory  sealed  Climax with  sound   for  £179.00,  which  was  £33.00 less than  Hattons  price  and  £100 less than another  discounters  price!

Over  here  in  the  UK,, it  has  become  quite difficult  to  actually  buy some 0n30 Bachmann products, Passenger  cars  are  vitrually  sold  out  with  apparently none  left in  the  Bachmann UK warehouse,  locos  are in very  short  supply  I purchased  the last New 2-6-0 in  stock  from one retailer last  week,

  just 2 days  ago  I was  lucky enough to  get  a  brand  new Climax with  sound (to add to my  others)  it  was  still factory  sealed with  the  cellophane  wrapper  around the  box and it  was  sold to me  for   £179.00 which is  a lot less than the price my regular retailer is listing  them  for at £290.
The point here  being the  retailer  who sold me the  loco  was glad to  sell it and get some  money in as things  are  very quiet in the  trade!

I have  got  a single passenger car ( the last  one in stock)  and a pack of  Brown Hopper cars ( again the last one in stock)
in the post  from a  Retailer in Cornwall  ( Kernow Model Centre)

The 18' freight  cars  are  more or  less sold  out  over  here and  where they  are available  the price has increased by around  15%

Hopefully  the  Whitcomb  will be  here  very soon ( Early September is being reprted)  but even  that has  had  a  price increase of around 10%

I appreciate  the  reasons for  the  increases its  a reflection  of  what  is happening in the  world these days, workers want a decent living  wage.

I hope  that  Bachmann continue to support 0n30

All Black!!

I have  posted  some  pics  on    www.rmweb.co.uk    in the  section  narrow gauge modelling  in forums,  and  alos  a  couple  of items  showing  decoder  insatallation   , these  are in the  EDM models  section which keads up the  Narrow gauge modelling  section

The  model itself  is a brilliant  performer  smooth running  good very low speed crawl capability.

The  decoder  fitting  was  completed  succesfully,  it  took  arouund 20 mins. to  do  loco runs  fine.

Interesting to see how little the  loco has   changed internally over  the  years ( the last one I took the  body off was  just  after  their initial  launch  which must  be  around 15yrs ago?)  I think the  only significant  change is  the  working  front  coupler!